Around 20 vessels of various class will be required to fully replace overland shipments of cargoes to Kaliningrad from the main territory of Russia if EU countries fully close their borders for Russian carriers, Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Anton Alikhanov said in an interview with TASS.
The Kaliningrad Region is separated from the main territory of the Russian Federation by the borders of EU countries, with the main flow of ground cargoes to the region running through Lithuania.
The European Union’s sanctions that particularly prohibit the work of Russian and Belarusian vehicle fleet operators on its territory, do not cover transit to Kaliningrad so far. In the event of a ban on it the sea route will become the main alternative to overland shipments.
“We assume that trade turnover between Kaliningrad and the main part of the Russian Federation, other countries belonging to the European Union, or eastern countries amounts to 20 mln tonnes of cargoes per year. This is what is delivered to us and from us for meeting the demands of production companies. Twenty vessels will be required to service this flow,” the governor explained.
